Healing Trauma through a First Nation Lens

August 25, 2015

There is emerging evidence that traumatic

experiences are often linked to mental health and

addictions issues, and that trauma-informed

approaches can assist those who are impacted.

Trauma-informed approaches allow service

providers to realize the impacts of trauma,

recognize the signs and symptoms of trauma, and

respond by integrating knowledge about trauma

into their practices. First Nation people have a

higher likelihood of experiencing trauma than the

general population, and oftentimes, the trauma

can be more complex than that experienced by

non-First Nation people.

The Kenora-Rainy River Youth Justice

Collaborative (KRRYJC) is one of 18 service

collaboratives set up by the provincial government

in regions across Ontario to reduce the burden of

mental illness and addictions by ensuring all

Ontarians have timely access to an integrated

system of coordinated care.

The collaborative connects justice-involved youth

up to the age of 17 with appropriate mental health

and addiction services through coordinated efforts

by agencies in the region, to give youth and their

caregivers access to services and options that

limit escalation in the justice system.

The collaborative recognized the need for service

providers, especially those who work with justice-

involved youth, to better understand trauma and

healing from an Indigenous perspective. Their

solution was to offer a trauma workshop that

incorporates the views and teachings of First

Nation people.

Although the workshops in Kenora-Rainy River did

not originally begin with the intention to host a First

Nation-specific event, the lack of knowledge of the

unique trauma that many in First Nation

communities have experienced, combined with the

over-representation of First Nation youth in the

justice system, demonstrated the need to explore

Traditional trauma healing approaches while

incorporating Traditional practices.

(From left to right) Master of Ceremonies Colin

Wasacase of Kenora City Council, and presenters Rupert

Ross, Dr. Ed Connors, and Dr. Renee Linklater.

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Trauma-Informed Services

Training and education in trauma-informed

practice helps service providers to understand the

impacts of trauma and effectively interact with

clients and their families. A series of workshops on

trauma-informed care have taken place in the

Kenora-Rainy River area since September 2014.

The objectives of these workshops were to help

service providers define trauma and its impacts,

explore the neurobiology of trauma, explore how

resilience relates to trauma recovery, and increase

their comfort level and confidence in working with

people affected by trauma.

Almost 100 service providers from youth justice,

mental health, addictions, and other related

sectors attended the workshops. While they

touched on issues related to Aboriginal

experiences of trauma, the workshops have been

predominantly based on Western-perspective

healing approaches.

Culturally-Relevant Trauma-

Informed Services

The trauma experienced by some Aboriginal

People in Canada can be understood as a distinct

form of complex trauma, resulting from the

impacts of colonization and trauma that has taken

place across generations. For example,

intergenerational trauma was the result of

colonizing events such as the mass removal of

Aboriginal children from their families (the “Sixties

Scoop”) and the use of residential schools to

assimilate Aboriginal children into Euro-Canadian

culture.

The demographics of Kenora-Rainy River make

culturally relevant trauma-informed services a key

priority in the region. In 2011, youth under 18

years made up 37.7% and 35.5% of the Aboriginal

population in Kenora and Rainy River,

respectively. In Ontario, five times more Aboriginal

male youth and ten times more female youth are

incarcerated than their counterparts in the general

population. As a result, the local youth justice

collaborative developed a trauma workshop that

focused on Traditional First Nation practices and

strategies.

Using a First Nation Lens

In June, 2015, over 170 service providers

attended Healing Trauma through a First Nations

Lens, a two-day interactive workshop in Kenora

that aimed to increase awareness of First Nation

healing practices and Traditional knowledge

related to mental health and addictions. The goal

was to develop this knowledge and approaches to

learning, and incorporate these Traditional views

into healing practices. Ultimately, the workshop

deepened attendees’ understanding and

awareness of Aboriginal trauma.

The workshop commenced and concluded with a

Traditional drum ceremony to ensure Traditional

ceremonial practices were incorporated into the

event. Each day of the workshop began with a

Traditional song and prayer to establish a hopeful

and open environment. In addition, guest speakers

with specific connections to the local First Nation

communities were included in the curriculum.

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The first guest speaker of the workshop was Dr.

Renee Linklater, a member of Rainy River First

Nation and Director of Aboriginal Engagement and

Outreach for the Provincial System Support

Program at the Centre for Addiction and Mental

Health. She connected her own personal stories

with decolonizing trauma work, offering purposeful

and practical methods to help individuals and

communities that have experienced trauma, while

recognizing the resilience of Aboriginal peoples.

Rupert Ross, a former assistant Crown Attorney

for the District of Kenora, was the workshop’s

second guest speaker. He conducted criminal

prosecutions for more than 20 remote Ojibway and

Cree First Nation communities in Northwestern

Ontario, and has written extensively on the trauma

experienced by the Aboriginal people in the area.

He shared his conviction that the key to healing is

a return to the Traditional Indigenous world view.

The third workshop guest speaker was Dr. Ed

Connors, a psychologist from Kahnawake Mohawk

Territory who was previously the director for the

Sacred Circle, a suicide prevention program

developed to serve First Nation communities in

Northwestern Ontario. Dr. Connors shared stories

relating to “Two Eyed Seeing” as a way of

understanding the integration of Indigenous and

Western world views of healing. He also led

participants in discussion circles on the

connections between the history of the territory

and what service providers should consider when

working with First Nation peoples.

The workshop also included a roundtable

discussion by local Grade 12 students who were

enrolled in a class on equity and social justice.

The students spoke about issues they had studied

in class, such as the impact of residential schools

and how learning about these issues impacted

their perception of Aboriginal people. The students

offered a positive outlook for the future of the

community, highlighting the fact that drawing

awareness to the trauma that was inflicted on

Aboriginal people is the first step towards healing.

Dr. Ed Connors explaining the Wampum Belt, a

Traditional item that symbolizes the peaceful,

respectful relationship between nations.

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The workshop garnered an outpouring of positive

feedback, with requests to hold more events in the

future. Some of the attendees’ feedback is as

follows:

“The student presentation was something that

gave me HOPE that change is possible within our

community.”

“This brought together three different, but inter-

related “stories” and teachers to integrate our

understanding of historical trauma and ways of

healing.”

“I LOVED the stories – amazing stories of

resilience. Incredibly humbling to hear these

stories of trauma but also the hope of healing.

They will stay with me and will deepen my heart’s

understanding of historical trauma.”

“Being able to witness, experience, and participate

in cultural practices, songs, and prayers was an

amazing learning experience. It should be required

for all people. I have learned so much and am

able to reflect on my own belief systems and how

they affect my outlook and practice.”

“I felt like a lot of thought and care went in to both

days and could feel the connection between the

speakers and within the room. A very healing,

moving conference.”

“I would like more exposure to cultural ceremonies

and elders to cultivate a deeper understanding of

how to best support and help our First Nations

people.”

Lessons Learned

Promising components of the workshop that

should be considered for future practices include

guest speakers that have personal connections to

the local community, story-telling presentation

approaches, and discussion circles and group

sharing. This is important to encourage

participation and acknowledge that each

participant is a teacher and learner in their healing

journey.

Workshops such as this allow service providers to

develop greater knowledge of First Nation cultural

healing practices, provide hope for service

providers and their clients, and build lasting

partnerships between First Nation and mainstream

organizations, no matter which culture their clients

are a part of.

For more information on the Healing Trauma

through a First Nation Lens workshop, please

contact Gina Clark at Gina.Clark@camh.ca.

Author: Erica Sawula

August 25, 2015